Shark Attacks 101 | National Geographic

[Music] The headlines are scary, but here's the truth about shark attacks. While sharks live on every coast of the United States, even Alaska, the chances of being killed by a shark is 1 in 3.7 million. That's a low number. You're more likely to die by drowning, a dog attack, or even a lightning strike.

Now, the chances of encountering a shark do increase the more time you hang out on its turf. Just like hiking in the woods increases your chance of seeing a bear. Most shark attack victims are surfers and other board enthusiasts, followed by swimmers and snorkelers. But when you consider that collectively people enter the ocean 15 billion times each year, and of those, only 52 hundred shark encounters take place, those are pretty good odds.

In low visibility, we look like shark prey, which is to say a fish, and all that splashing around just gets their attention. The stories of these menacing fish and their toothy weapons are enough to send everyone in a panic. But let's keep everything in perspective. There's going to be a spike in shark attacks in the summer, when we swarm the beaches, increasing the likelihood of meeting a shark.

Because most sharks are coldblooded, they prefer warmer waters. But even in the warmest of waters, the odds of a shark attacking you are almost non-existent. Still, scared beachgoers like yourself can practice the following tips to avoid attracting sharks.

And here's something to chew on: for every human killed by a shark, humans kill millions of sharks. Bottom line, the chances that you'll ever have a dangerous encounter with a shark over the course of your life is just about zero, no matter where you are or what you are doing in the water.